Roman Škadra: Absurd Hero

An incredible fight between man and ball will shake Žďár’s Náměstí republiky. Slovak juggler and acrobat Roman Škadra takes on a twenty-five-kilogram ball that puts him in desperate situations over and over again.

Are success and failure just states of mind?

Is it possible to find pleasure and happiness in the struggle? If the object doesn't care if I defeat it, can it really be defeated? Absurd Hero reveals the deadly, delirious drama between an artist and a 25kg red ball. The artist repeatedly finds himself in impossible situations at the edge of physical and emotional endurance. 

Running time: 35 mins

Suitable for: 8+

Entry free

CREDITS

Creation and Performance: Roman Škadra

Dramaturgy: Darragh McLoughlin

External eye acrobatics: Ana Jordão

External eye object manipulation: Declan Mee

Wrestling advisor: Lorenzo Aureli

Light design: Emese Csornai

Tour technician: Jakob Altmann, Piotr Lemieszczuk

Illustration: Veruschka Bohn a.k.a. missvizzz

Photos: Bernadette Fink, František Ortmann (presented photo by ©František Ortmann)

Production: Anna-Katharina Andrees

Coproduction: CircusDanceFestival Residenzprogramm - Gefördert von TANZPAKT Stadt-Land-Bund aus Mitteln der Beauftragten Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien, Zirkus ON 2020/2021 (BUZZ Bundesverband Zeitgenössischer e.V.), Associazione culturale teatrale Duetti e 1/2 Milano

Roman Škadra (1985) is a Slovak juggler and circus artist currently based in Berlin. He studied Geography at Komenský University in Bratislava. In 2012, he moved to Berlin, completing his training in contemporary circus at Die Etage - Schule fürdarstellende und bildende Kunst. Roman’s work combines different techniques and explores the relationship between body and object. In recent years, his practice has moved from juggling to the manipulation of heavy objects. He collaborates with Benjamin Richter (a guest of KoresponDance in 2021) and is part of a movement of artists challenging the conventional perception of circus and creating works at the intersection of various art forms that are intended for presentation in diverse contexts. He draws inspiration from literature, visual art, sport and human labour. Absurdity is a central theme in his work and his performances are notable for their intense physical effort.